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ReproSource Comments on New Study Linking Infertility to Genetics

A new study, finding a connection between infertility and key genetic markers, wins the praise of clinical research company ReproSource.

WOBURN, Mass., April 25, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Infertility is a complicated medical issue that can affect both men and women; while there are many testing and treatment options available for those suffering from infertility, it can sometimes prove difficult even to determine the true cause of infertility. The cause of the condition could be anything from a lifestyle factor to a hormonal imbalance. According to a new scientific study, however, genetic markers can play an important role in tracking and predicting a decline in infertility. This study has won the affirmation of many within the medical community, including clinical research company ReproSource.

The study, reported in the February edition of Human Reproduction, says three key gene variants might be associated with the age at which a woman’s infertility begins to decline. This information can be used to effectively predict when a woman will begin to experience a loss of fertility, and with it declining chances of conceiving.

ReproSource, a leading clinical laboratory and research organization that performs research and develops diagnostics like the Ovarian Assessment Report(TM), has issued a statement in praise of the new study. “This is valuable research to help determine why the age and rate of fertility decline can vary so dramatically among women,” says Charles Jenkins, Vice President of ReproSource. “Fertility is a complex combination of hormones, immune factors, and genetics. The ability to identify genetic risk factors that affect fertility is critically important research.”

Ultimately, Jenkins says, this new study is a critical step in the right direction for effectively predicting and treating infertility. “Although genetic factors for infertility are difficult to correct, identifying these risk factors provides patients and clinicians with valuable information to help them make timely and informed decisions about family planning,” Jenkins notes.

The study itself draws similar conclusions to those made by ReproSource. The report indicates that these new findings may ultimately allow individual women to predict the age at which their fertility will begin to decline, and to plan accordingly.

“Many women now are delaying childbirth until their mid to late 30s, which is getting very near the edge of the usual fertility window,” says Sonya Schuh-Huerta, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar and one of the authors of the new study. She continues by saying that many of these women are genetically destined to have diminishing fertility as they age, but, currently, they have no way of knowing this.

Another author of the study, Renee Reijo Pera, PhD, elaborates, noting that the age of menopause is largely determined by genetics–a fact many women do not know. Pera’s hope for the new study is that it will help women to realize that their “reproductive biology is relatively fixed,” and that planning their family in advance is typically the prudent plan of action.